Baker College culinary arts director receives highest recognition for US chef

Thomas F. Recinella, CEC®, ACE, AAC®, has been invited to become a member of the Honorable Order of the Golden Toque, the highest acclaimed recognition a chef can receive in the U.S.

The induction ceremony will be held Saturday, June 27, at Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth, Frankenmuth. Recinella is program director and COURSES Restaurant executive chef at Baker College of Port Huron’s Culinary Institute of Michigan (CIM).

Membership in the Honorable Order of the Golden Toque is limited to 100 lifetime members who have demonstrated professional attainment of high estate, abiding interest in professional progress, and devoted and distinguished service to the culinary profession and arts.

“This is a truly amazing and well deserved honor for Chef Recinella,” said Donald R. Torline, Baker College of Port Huron president. “He’s a brilliant mentor who inspires students to achieve great accomplishments. We are fortunate that he chose to help Baker College build a world-class culinary training program in Port Huron.”

Members of the Order are chefs with at least 20 years of service who have been nominated by three active members and, after a screening process, have been granted final acceptance by the membership.

Recinella has more than 30 years of culinary and food and beverage experience, working in private clubs, fine dining restaurants, catering, banquets and culinary education. Since 2012 when he was selected to head the CIM-Port Huron, Recinella has dedicated himself to teaching emerging culinarians at Baker College.

Recognitions earned by CIM-Port Huron students who have been coached by Recinella, as well as other instructors, in the college’s inaugural participation in culinary competitions include:

· 2014 Student Chef of the Year by the Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association, the Southeastern Michigan chapter of the American Culinary Federation (ACF).

· 2015 ACF Student Team Michigan State Championship and a silver medal at the ACF regional competition.

A student chef coached by Recinella for the national ment’or BKB Young Chef Competition made such an excellent impression on the judges, he was offered a six-month stagiaire, or paid internship, at world-renowned Chef Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro in Beverly Hills, California.

“To be accepted into a group of such dedicated and accomplished senior culinarians is a remarkable privilege,” said Recinella. “I do my very best to live up to the mission of the Order every day, which includes promoting student success in viable teaching and learning environments. The growth and proficiency of CIM-Port Huron students exemplify that we are accomplishing our goal of attaining excellence in the classroom.”

Recinella, the founding CIM-Port Huron program director, has been the recipient of multiple industry awards for excellence in teaching, including the 2014 Sharing Culinary Traditions Award from the American Academy of Chefs and the 2003 American Culinary Federation National Educator of the Year.

The Order was founded in France and brought to the U.S. in 1961 by Chef Pierre Berard. Its mission is to provide and foster a forum for the exchange of culinary knowledge and expertise so members may assist in the development of young culinarians and improve the quality of life in a multicultural world community.

For more information about the culinary arts programs at the CIM-Port Huron, contact Dan Kenny in the admissions office at daniel.kenny@baker.edu, 888.262.2442 or 810.985.7000, or visit www.baker.edu.

The largest private college in Michigan, Baker College is a not-for-profit higher education institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It serves more than 28,000 students on multiple campuses and online. Baker grants certificates and associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in more than 150 programs across diverse academic fields, including business, health sciences, engineering, information technology, education and human services. An impressive 97 percent of available graduates are employed. Every Baker graduate receives Lifetime Employment Assistance—free and forever. Baker is a pioneer in online education and offers students the option of completing a degree 100 percent online, without ever visiting a campus. For information, visit www.baker.edu or follow Baker College on Twitter, @bakercollege, or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/bakercollege.